


Miles to Go

by muses_circle, xtremeroswellian



Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala [21]
Category: Smallville, Supernatural
Genre: Bestest Cousins, Dean hates Clark, F/M, Gateway to hell, So many Buffy references, Stull Cemetery, Training the JLA for exorcisms, What's so great about normal?, baby shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:07:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24081049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muses_circle/pseuds/muses_circle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: A call from an old friend in Lawrence sets the group in motion to start preparing for the final battle.
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan & Lois Lane, Chloe Sullivan & Sam Winchester, Chloe Sullivan & Sarah Blake, Chloe Sullivan/Dean Winchester, Sarah Blake/Sam Winchester
Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722754





	Miles to Go

The baby was healthy and growing normally. Sarah didn't think she and Sam could have better news, though a part of her had known that going into her last minute doctor's appointment. Everything had gone smoothly, and even though the ultrasound hadn't revealed the sex of the child, as she was only four and a half months along, that didn't matter. Watching Sam's face light up like a Christmas tree and squeeze her hand was enough. Besides, Sarah knew she was going to have a boy, with Sam's face and her eyes, she hoped. It was something that had kept her going all day, even as she and Chloe took the day to go clothes shopping for the both of them.

"So you want to see your future nephew?" she teased and glanced at Chloe. 

"Of course." She grinned and looked at her sideways, tucking some hair behind her ears. 

Sarah shifted one of the bags in her hand and reached into her purse for the pictures. She beamed with pride. "He's beautiful," she whispered and handed them over. 

She smiled softly, her green eyes bright. "Yes, he is." She was quiet for a moment. "Have you started thinking about names?" 

"Not yet. I guess with all the insanity lately..." Sarah let her words trail off. "It's a wonder we have the time to get new clothes, ya know?" 

"Yeah," Chloe agreed softly, handing the pictures back to her. "I know." 

Taking the pictures back, she put them back into her purse to save for later. A quiet smile graced her lips for a moment when she imagined Sam being a father and holding their son for the first time. It was an image that had stayed with her the last couple days, especially since their lives were so uncertain. 

"Oh, look. There's a baby store," she said innocently. 

"Chloe," Sarah laughed and followed her into the baby store. "Shouldn't we be finding something for you right now? I mean... Victoria's Secret is just next door!" She blushed a little and wondered at the irony of the stores' positions. 

A short chuckle escaped her. "I have plenty of clothes." 

She picked out a boy's sleep outfit and grinned. "But now that you and Dean are finally right again..." She gave Chloe a meaningful look. 

She shook her head in amusement. "I don't need Victoria's Secret. It never stays on long." 

She laughed. "But knowing Dean, part of his fun is taking it off." She shook her head and thought about after she had this baby and how Sam could have his fun. When she felt Chloe wince, she laughed again. "Sorry, I know. Too much information." 

"Yeah one of those drawbacks of the Vulcan Mind-Meld," she said wryly, picking up a tiny blue jumper. "God, this is adorable." 

"It is, isn't it?" she whispered with wide eyes. "Aunt Chloe going to get it for the newest Winchester?" 

Chloe grinned involuntarily. "I think so." 

Sarah grabbed the matching blanket with the jumper and turned to her. "Then I think we've just gotten the next generation suited up," she said with a smile. Chloe seemed to finally be accepting that she was part of their little, very closely knit family. Gone were the wince and the sad eyes whenever someone had mentioned the future. Sarah was more than glad for this change: it was time Chloe and Dean learned how to live with each other, now that they had fought just about every verbal battle known to man. 

She smirked and glanced at her friend sideways. "You do realize I just heard that whole internal monologue, right?" she teased, elbowing her lightly in the arm. 

"Maybe I wanted you to," she giggled and headed for the customer service station to pay for her purchases. "I'm almost ready to start betting against Sam on what you two are going to fight about next." 

A short chuckle escaped her. "You mean Sam tries to predict what we're gonna fight about?" 

"It's something to pass the time when we're in the backseat and listening to you two go at it verbally." 

Chloe smirked as she thought about how that verbal sparring was pretty much their favorite form of foreplay. 

"Which is why it's nice to get out of the car and let you two go do your... thing." Sarah turned knowing eyes on Chloe after she'd paid for her purchases. 

She grinned, not looking the least bit embarrassed as she took her bags from the lady behind the register and headed back out into the main part of the mall. "You know, maybe you're right. I could probably find something." She glanced toward Victoria's Secret. 

Sarah laughed with amusement and grabbed Chloe's hand. They walked towards the lingerie shop quickly. "Knowing Dean, I'll bet he likes black," she quirked. 

"He definitely does. He also likes red." 

"So maybe... if you got something red and black, that'd probably be a good thing." She headed for a rack of two-piece teddies with those specific colors. 

Chloe followed her and picked up a lacy black top, holding it up. 

"Well?" Sarah whispered. 

"What do you think?" 

"Better question would be: what would Dean think?" 

A smile tugged at her lips. She had a feeling she knew exactly what Dean would think. 

"Then go buy it," Sarah urged gently with a smile. 

Nodding a little, Chloe plucked a pair of red underwear--if you could call them that--off the bottom rack and headed to the counter. 

Sarah smirked and watched her friend move towards the back of the store to pay for her findings. Turning, she headed out of the store and went for the nearest bench to wait for her. She sat down and let out a sigh, relieved that she had pants to fit her growing belly. She was a little saddened over the loss of her natural waistline, but Sam didn't seem to mind. A small smile curled over her lips. 

Chloe joined her a few moments later, sitting beside her and watching the people that passed by them, chattering about their normal lives. "I used to wonder what normal would be like." 

"And what did you decide about that?" Sarah asked, the smile falling from her face. Normal, to her, had always been boring. 

A smile tugged at her lips. "What's so great about normal?" 

"Coming from someone who had 'normal', there's nothing great about it." It didn't matter that at times, she wanted normal, given the dark days ahead. But then she thought about how the Winchesters, how Chloe, how their adventures had changed her life. She smiled serenely. "Nothing at all." 

&&&&&

Chloe let the hot water from the motel shower soothe the last bit of remaining tension from her shoulders and neck and then stepped out of the shower, drying off quickly and raking a brush through her hair. A faint smile tugging at her lips, she pulled on the lingerie she'd bought a few hours before and slowly stepped out into the main room. Her intended victim was lying on the large bed, unaware of her presence as he watched some infomercials. 

Dean yawned loudly and flipped through yet another infomercial, his eyelids growing heavy. It had been a rough day, and that had been before Ellen and Jo showed up on Bobby's doorstep unexpectedly.

No one had gotten sleep the night before, not with the four of them answering just about every kind of question this Ava girl could ask. He secretly admitted it was nice having another body on their side, though from the sounds of things, it wouldn't be enough. So when Jo had casually mentioned she teach Ava how to throw knives while Ellen wanted to help Bobby with research, Dean had readily agreed. Chloe and Sarah took off for parts unknown -- the mall maybe -- and he and Sam had left to get rooms at the nearest hotel.

So he didn't see Chloe at first when the bathroom door slid open and she walked out. Didn't notice the way her hips swayed beneath the bit of lace and sheer fabric, because he was too busy trying to fall asleep. "Chlo?" he whispered. 

"You bored?" she teased lightly. 

He pried his eyes open and smirked at the screen, the objects dancing brightly against the darkened room. "No, watching people cut up things with sharp knives is fun." He glanced at her. And every fiber of his being jolted awake. 

A seductive smile curled her lips. "Guess this means I have your attention." 

"If that was what you were going for," he said absently. The black fabric barely covered her breasts. He could make out her already hardened nipples beneath the fabric, and it tormented him. He sat up on the bed and looked her over slowly, need curling in his stomach. 

Warmth swept over her at the look in his eyes and she approached him slowly, enjoying the expression that flickered over his face. "It was," she whispered, sitting down on his lap. 

"And how that you have it?" he quipped and let his gaze trail up her body until it collided with her amused, lusty eyes. His hands went to her waist and gently squeezed. 

"Well, I was sort of planning on having my way with you," she teased, nipping lightly at his earlobe. 

His fingers dug into her hips to urge her on. "Which involves what?" he rasped with a chuckle. His growing hardness pressed against her thigh. 

"Mmm." She lowered her lips to his neck, kissing him there and pressing her hips against his a little more firmly. "Guess you'll have to find out." 

He groaned and slid his hands underneath the filmy fabric to caress her stomach. He leaned into her kisses and felt the heat rise to his skin. "You get this today?" 

"Good guess. You like?" She nuzzled his neck again, sliding her hands up beneath his shirt and caressing his back. 

With a growl in his throat, Dean moved Chloe onto her back and looked at her beautiful body. "One way of putting it." He kissed her soft, pliant lips and stroked her arms as he settled himself over top of her. 

She smiled, her green eyes bright as she slid her fingers through his hair. "I love you." 

He smirked. "Not possible," he teased between kisses. "I love you more than you love me." 

"So says you," she teased back, slipping his shirt off over his head and discarding it onto the floor. 

"Hell yeah, so says me." He made a sound when he felt her lips on his chest and felt her body writhe beneath his. "Couldn't possibly love me more." 

"Don't bet the farm on that, Winchester," she whispered. 

"If I had a farm to bet, I would," he replied, confidant. And yelped when she bit down on his nipple. 

She pressed her hands against his chest and flipped them so she was on top, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "You'd lose." 

He chuckled and ran his hands up her stomach and cupped her beasts. "I doubt that," he whispered, flicking his thumbs against her taut peaks. 

"I don't." She shuddered a little, closing her eyes for a moment at the sensation. 

He caressed her flesh slowly and watched her face, flushed with arousal and pleasure. The lights from the television framed her figure, giving her an ethereal look. Her blonde hair glowed with a light he thought might have come from heaven itself. "Chloe," he whispered. 

She leaned down, brushing her lips against his softly, then deepening the kiss, her hands resting against his chest. 

He dug one hand into her hair and held her close to him as they kissed hungrily. His other hand moved to the back clasp of her teddy. 

She groaned when Dean's cell phone rang. 

"No, we're ignoring it," he protested and went back to kissing her. It stopped ringing and he smirked beneath her kisses. 

She shifted against him, kissing her way down his chest and reaching for his boxers. 

He moved his hips against her, pressing himself into her palm, when his cell chirped again. "Fuck!" he roared with frustration. 

"Ignore it," she said with a grin, reaching over and turning the volume off. 

He caught a flash of the screen and took the phone from her. It's Missouri, he thought and looked at her regretfully. "Missouri," he said into the phone, his free hand squeezing Chloe's breast. 

She groaned softly and slowly rolled off him. "Better take it then." 

"This had better be good, Missouri." 

"Where are you?" Her voice was grave, serious. 

Somewhere between second base and home, he thought wryly and looked heatedly at Chloe. "Near Bobby's. Why?" 

"You need to come to Lawrence." 

He groaned. That was the last place he wanted to be. Ever. Too much evil and wrong had been done there. Too much pain. Too many memories of a life he should've had but didn't. "Why?" he repeated and sat up with a deep frown. 

Chloe looked at him worriedly, her eyes searching his face. 

"Because all hell's about to break loose." 

Fuck. "You mean, the demon's decided to take us home and kick our collective asses?" He scooted off the bed and grabbed his discarded shirt. 

"Just get here. Because this war's about to start." 

"Yes, ma'am, we'll be there in a day or two," he said and flipped the phone shut. He sighed and looked at Chloe. "We gotta go." He pulled her from the bed and against his still-naked chest, into a warm embrace. 

She slid her arms around him, feeling his heart pounding rapidly against her breast. She slid her fingers through his hair and pulled away just enough to look at him. "It's gonna be okay." 

"You promise?" he whispered and brushed his lips against hers. He wasn't ready for this, didn't want to go home. His thoughts swirled in a riot of what if scenarios he couldn't afford to contemplate. He took a deep breath and let Chloe's presence soothe him. 

"I promise," she whispered back. "I have a feeling." 

He looked down at her. "So what's your feeling say, Jennifer Love Hewitt?" he teased with a smile. 

"That we're gonna be just fine," she said honestly, gazing into his eyes. 

"You know what would make me finer?" His hand caressed her back. 

"What's that?" 

"Making love to you right now," he growled and captured her lips in a hot, heart-stopping kiss. 

She groaned softly, lifting a hand to his cheek. "Take me away," she whispered. 

He scooped her into his arms and moved back towards the bed quickly. Missouri's urgent warning rang in the back of his mind, but for the moment, he wanted to lose himself in Chloe's warmth and love. Because he wondered when they'd be together, alone, again. 

&&&&&

Sam glanced at Sarah as he stuffed another shirt into his suitcase. The call from Missouri – the one he was sure Dean had gotten as well – had unsettled him. And it affected Sarah in a way he didn’t like at all. His gaze lingered on her tense body as she set about packing silently. "Hey." 

She didn't look up at him, but instead kept her eyes focused on putting the last of her things into the suitcase. Her mental wall was firmly up so he couldn't hear her thoughts. No one should have to listen to them, not when they were about to walk into hell itself. 

"Sarah." His voice was soft and he slowly moved over to where she stood, sliding his arms around her from behind. 

She leaned back against him, her eyes shut tightly. His hands gently caressed the growing lump that was their son and she bit back a tearful shudder. "Yeah," she whispered. 

"It's gonna be okay," he whispered against her hair, pressing a kiss to her neck. 

Easy thing for him to say, she thought and rested her head back against the massive wall of his chest. Her laugh was small and bitter. "Maybe, maybe not, Sam." 

"It will be." He rested his chin atop her head. 

She bit back a loud sob. "Oh yeah? So when the yellow eyed demon blasts you to hell, our son and I will still live to see another day?" She turned around and glared at him, an accusation in her eyes to mask the unbearable thought of losing him. 

He gazed at her, sadness in his eyes. Then he lifted a hand to her cheek. "Do you trust me?" His voice was quiet. 

"How can you ask me that?" she whispered brokenly and ran her hands up his arms. "You know I do, Sam." 

"Then I need you to trust me when I say it's gonna be okay." 

She shook with the force of Sam's commanding voice. Sarah had never heard him so sure of anything in her life. "But what if you...?" She looked into his beautiful hazel green eyes and wanted to cry. 

"I won't," he said firmly, holding her gaze. "I promise you." 

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and Sarah buried her face into Sam's chest suddenly. Her knees literally shook with weakness. "I don't know... if I can... d-do th-this," she stammered and clung to him. Maybe it was a moment of hormonal weakness, as she often found herself at times crying for absolutely no reason. But the image of Sam lying dead on the ground would not leave her alone. 

He slid his hands through her hair, pulling her closer to him. "You can do this," he whispered. "Because you're strong. Because I need you." 

Sarah wound her arms around him and wept. As much as he needed her, she knew she needed him more. Being on the road with Sam Winchester had been eye opening, surprising, and completely wonderful. Never had she imagined the life they could have when he first walked into her life a couple years ago. And she couldn't imagine not having Sam around for a very, very long time.

I love you so much, she thought and let her mental walls fall. 

I love you too. And it's gonna be all right. I'm not gonna leave you. Either of you. He rested a hand on her stomach. 

Promise me. 

"I swear," Sam whispered, gazing at her intently. 

"Sam," Sarah swallowed hard. "I'm scared. I mean, scared to death that something's going to happen to one of us." In that moment, she felt incredibly guilty and selfish for being the only person among the lot of them for having an invulnerability spell cast of her. It seemed so unfair. 

"Hey. Don't do that," he chided softly, touching her cheek again. "The fact that you and the baby are safe will help the three of us to concentrate on what we have to do." 

"And I want to help, too," she whispered, "but it's still not fair. Not for any of us." 

Sam kissed her gently, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers. It's gonna be okay. 

It had better be okay, she thought to herself and pulled him closer. Because if any of them died, she would make damn sure that demon would pay for it. 

&&&&&

While Dean showered, Chloe forced herself to make a phone call she'd been dreading making the last few weeks for multiple reasons. Dialing the familiar number, she waited for him to pick up. 

"Hey, Chloe. Been waiting to hear from you." 

She caught the hint of hesitation in his voice. "We've got news." 

Oliver Queen frowned and was grateful that, for the moment, he was alone in the large South Dakota warehouse he'd opened for a "West Coast" branch, for lack of a better term. "Is it the kind where we need to put on our crash helmets and bunker down?" he asked cautiously. 

"It's the kind where we all get ready for the biggest battle we've ever fought." Her voice was quiet, grim. 

Oliver smirked sadly. "You been watching a lot of X-Files reruns lately, Chloe?" He looked down and sighed. "Where? By all accounts, Lex's minions have been working furiously to dismantle the 33.1 facilities. However, I think it's a ruse." 

"It is. We got word from a friend that the storm is brewing right in Lawrence, Kansas." The same place it all began, she thought as sadness washed over her. 

"Makes sense. Intel reports have been coming in regarding at least a dozen large truck freighters making an exodus to two places of the country: Kansas and Nebraska." 

Her face grew pale and she raked a hand through her hair. "I don't suppose you're secretly funding some kind of independent army?" she asked hopefully. 

Oliver chuckled ruefully. "I'm not that rich, Sidekick." He paused for a moment and looked out the large picture window. "Chloe, we need... to talk." 

She winced a little. "I suppose trying to ignore the wooly mammoth in the room is pointless." 

"Make that the Red and Blue and Pouting Mammoth." He raked long fingers through his short, spiky blonde hair. "What the hell happened, Chloe? I've only gotten bits and pieces from Clark, and it's not like your guys are the most talkative. Hell, even Jo won't tell me." 

Chloe was silent for a moment. "I was possessed by a demon out for revenge on Dean and Sam. Mostly Dean." 

He was struck silent for a full minute. "A demon. Possessed you? What did Dean do to it?" 

"An exorcism." 

"Must've been an ugly one," he replied with a shudder. "So I take it that it really did a number on one of you, because I've never seen Clark with his boxers in a twist like this. Ever." 

"That's all you're getting out of me, Ollie. I'm sorry. The rest is between me and Clark. And Dean." Her voice was quiet. 

Oliver was momentarily speechless at the stern warning behind her words: back off. "Okay," he replied warily. "Just thought you'd want to know Clark's head isn't in the game, and we really need him to be." 

"I hear what you're saying," she said just as warily. "I'll take care of it. I'm not sure how, but I will." 

"Figure out a way, Chloe. We're going to need everyone on board. Sanity intact and ready to kill some demonic... wait, this is new territory for us. Care to explain how to kill a demon?" 

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah...about that. You're gonna need some training." 

"This training involve watching Clark and Dean kick each others' asses?" Oliver joked lightly. 

Chloe grimaced, knowing that was a very distinct possibility. "Let's hope not." 

"Boy, you're a barrel of laughs today, Sidekick," he replied solemnly. "I take it the Winchesters are going to head up this... training? Want to bring them here or we meeting somewhere else?" He felt a little unsettled by the personal anxiety of seeing Clark Kent and Dean Winchester face off over something neither of them had any control over. Not that they weren’t going to face off. That was pretty much a given.

"Yeah. They're the experts. Sarah and I are still trainees," she said, glancing toward the bathroom. "Where are you right now?" 

"Still in South Dakota, where I've set up operations since the last time Clark found himself in a mess like this." 

She sighed softly. "All right. I guess we'll just come there." 

He winced at the resignation in her voice. "Good idea. Get here ASAP. We'll take our crash course and share what we've learned." And in the meantime, hopefully their personal issues would be resolved. Oliver knew any kind of rift could result in someone dying. Not what he wanted. 

"Crash course will be about right. We need to get to Lawrence, soon." 

"How soon can you get here?" 

"A couple hours. We're already packed." 

"We'll be looking for you, then. Be safe." With that, Oliver shut off his phone and rammed it in his pocket. He then headed to find the others and prepare them. 

Chloe shut her eyes momentarily as she slowly hung up the phone as well, glancing up as she heard the bathroom door open. She watched as Dean stepped out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist and a smile tugged at her lips involuntarily. 

"You know, you keep looking at me like that, and we're never getting outta here," he remarked with a sexy smile. His hand loosened the towel around his waist, his eyebrows shot up suggestively. 

A soft chuckle escaped her. "Promises, promises." 

He let the towel drop from his body and crossed the room to her. He pulled her against his body, still damp from the shower, and grinned cockily. "I'll show you a promise," he whispered and lowered his head, his lips brushing against hers gently. 

Chloe groaned softly as she returned the kiss urgently, sliding her fingers through his damp hair. 

Pleased with her eager response, Dean smiled against her lips and dug his fingers into her waist. "I love you, have I mentioned that?" 

"I love you," she whispered back, pulling him closer. 

"And as much... and I would... love to... continue this..." he spoke between kisses and walked them back towards the bed. "We have to go." He kissed her one last time just as he felt the back of her knees hit the bed. 

"Oh, no, buddy. We're finishing," she informed him, yanking him down against her. 

"God, when did you get so bossy?" he complained out loud, though he willingly attacked the buttons on her shirt and kissed every inch of bare skin he could. He pressed against her thigh and groaned. 

"I've always been bossy," she retorted, sliding her hands down his back. 

He licked one of her taut nipples and smiled at her response. "Yeah, but that was only when you're pissed at me." He moved over her and caressed her breast while kissing her neck. 

"Not always just when I'm pissed at you." She groaned softly as he pressed against her. "Now." 

He smirked against her skin and reached for her jeans. 

Chloe lifted her hips up so he could remove her jeans, groaning softly as his fingers trailed down her thigh. 

Dean's hands slid down her legs and yanked her clothing from her body, then slid them slowly back up her naked legs until one hand found her mound. He rubbed her lightly, pleased to find her ready for him so quickly. He scooted her to the edge of the bed and knelt in front of her. He slid his tongue into her hot core and lapped up her scent. His felt her buck against him and put his hands on her waist to steady her.

So intent was he on Chloe's pleasure that Dean didn't hear the knock on the door. 

Chloe didn't hear it either, her hands fisting in the bedsheets as she lifted her hips toward his mouth. "Dean," she whimpered, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. 

Dean leaned back and slipped a digit into her hot core and let her hips set the pace for them. He licked her taste on his lips and kissed her inner thighs as she rode his hand.

The knock on the door became more insistent and louder. 

Her eyes rolled back in her head as heat washed over her, pleasure curling her stomach as her climax hit. She drew in a shuddering breath, her eyes drifting shut. At first she thought the noise was the pounding of her heart, but after a moment as she began to slip out of her daze she realized someone was knocking on the door. 

Dean leaned into the apex of her thighs, heady on her scent, and groaned when he heard someone pounding on the other side of the door. "Fuck," he grumbled and reluctantly moved away from Chloe's trembling body. He stood up and looked at her reluctantly. His body throbbed for release, and she was still trembling from her passion. "Hold that thought," he whispered with a smirk. 

"Deal," she murmured, reluctantly pulling the blanket over her. 

Dean grabbed his jeans and pulled them on hurriedly as the pounding against the door continued. "This had better be good," he growled and opened the door so quickly he nearly tore it from the hinges. He found Sam on the other side. "What?" he demanded, eyes angry.

His brother only smirked knowingly. "Did I interrupt something?"

"What the hell do you want that can't wait five minutes?" 

"We need to get moving. Missouri's waiting, remember?" 

Dean sighed and wanted to stomp his foot in frustration. "Five minutes? Can't it wait?" He glanced back at Chloe, who had obviously put her clothes back on. He sighed. "Fine, let's head for Lawrence. Like the demons can't wait or something." The last sentence he grumbled to himself. 

Chloe had become an expert at putting her clothes on under the covers as quickly as possible since she'd started riding with the Winchester brothers. So as soon as she'd finished, she moved over toward the door, resting a hand on Dean's arm. "We're gonna have to make a stop." 

He glanced down at her sharply. "What do you mean, a stop?"

Sam's eyes turned dark with worry. 

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "The Justice League doesn't know the first thing about demons. We're gonna have to train them." Her voice was quiet. 

Dean snorted. "Of all the things and gadgets those guys handle and deal with, and they don't even know how to..." His words drifted off as he suddenly realized what this meant. He'd have to see Clark Kent again. Someone he never wanted to see ever again, and suddenly he'd have to work with the guy.

He looked down so Chloe didn't see the red in his eyes. "Hell no, we're not going," he growled.

Sam took a step into the room hesitantly. "Dean," he started, but Dean cut him off with a look.

"No, we aren't going. Those guys are smart. They can figure it out for themselves." 

"Dean." Her voice was quiet. "I know. I'm not happy about it either, believe me. But we're gonna need all the help we can get. Our lives depend on it." 

Sarah appeared in the doorway suddenly, her hand on Sam's arm. She had finished their packing, though she still feared what was to come. The dangerous look on Dean's face didn't help, either. "What's wrong?" she whispered and looked at Sam, then Chloe. 

She shifted her gaze to her friend's face but remained silent, her body tense. 

"The Justice League members want training on how to kill demons." Sam's voice was grim. 

Sarah blanched at the simple statement and understood immediately the potential disaster of what they were about to pursue prior to Lawrence. "I'm a little surprised that they don't know how to do that themselves --"

"Yeah, that's what I said," Dean interjected defensively but quieted when Sarah glared at him.

" -- but they need to be taught," she finished quietly and gave Chloe a sympathetic look.

"We don't need them for this. I don't want to go," Dean replied, his voice flat with anger.

"You know we have to," Sarah replied.

"What the hell do you know about it, Sarah?" Dean demanded. 

"Hey. Don't take it out on her." Chloe turned to look at him, her gaze intense. 

"It's okay, Chloe," the brunette whispered and turned her observant gaze to Dean. "Look, I get you're angry, but you know we need them. All of them. Can't you let go of your anger towards Clark until this fight is done?" She gripped Sam's hand tightly, afraid of the response she'd get.

Dean didn't look at any of them; his eyes were glued to the floor as he listened to Sarah's words. She was right, of course, though he wasn't willing to state that fact. The problem was, he didn't know what he'd do if he saw Clark Kent again. Despite the man's invulnerability, Dean wanted to kill him. He should have known Chloe wasn't herself that night, not if he claimed to know her as well as he'd professed. What he saw was a man clearly taking advantage of a situation.

It was a place he knew too well, having been there not even a year ago.

He turned and searched for a shirt to pull over his head. 

"Can you guys give us a minute?" she asked softly, glancing at Sam and Sarah. 

"Sure, Chloe," he said softly, wrapping an arm around Sarah's waist and leading her out the door, shutting it behind them. 

Having found his shirts, Dean put them on quickly and noted that while Chloe had shut the door, leaving them alone, she wasn't making any move to finish packing. He grabbed his duffel bag and began stuffing his things into it silently. 

"Dean." Her voice was soft. 

"What?" came the terse response. 

Chloe sighed softly, realizing he had put up the mental barrier between them. "I'm not happy about this either," she whispered. 

He made a face and looked at her. "Then why not ask Oliver send the Blue and Red Wonder somewhere else?" he asked and tucked his gun into the waistband of his jeans. "Maybe the Arctic, where he can be eaten by a friendly polar bear?" 

Her eyes were sad. "Because like it or not, we're gonna need Clark's help." She looked at the floor. 

Zipping his bag shut, Dean left it and crossed the room to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him. "I don't like it," he whispered against her hair and let his mental barrier down. And he better hope there's no kryptonite around when he's in my presence. 

She relaxed against him, winding her arms around him in return. "I don't like it either," she admitted in a whisper. She rested her head against his chest, shutting her eyes and letting out a breath. The idea of seeing Clark again made her stomach turn with dread and she didn't try to hide that fact from Dean. 

His arms tightened around her. "Good, because if he so much as touches you, Chlo, I swear to God..." Dean let his words hang in the air, because he didn't want to think of what he might be capable of doing to an ally in this fight. In fact, even harboring this anger was detrimental to their cause. He firmly stuffed it back in his mind for the moment. 

She pressed a kiss against his collarbone, sliding her hands down his back in a soothing manner. "I love you. Just you." She tilted her head back to look at him. 

"I know you do," he whispered and looked down into her deep green pools he wanted to lose himself in. "I know you do." He dipped his head and planted a soft, firm kiss on her lips. One that gave as much as it claimed her as his. 

She slid her fingers through his hair, keeping him close as she returned the kiss without hesitation. 

A moment later, he pulled away and smirked. "See? There's my proof." His grin became lopsided when she gave him a look. 

Chloe chuckled softly. "Come on, Casanova. Let's hit the road." 

With another quick kiss and grin, Dean let her go and grabbed his bag. "That's Mr. Casanova to you," he replied with a grin that hid his anxiety. 

She grabbed her own bag, and slid her hand into his, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

&&&&&

The members of the Justice League were seated solemnly together when the Winchesters and company walked inside. Sarah saw the deliberately empty look on Oliver's face and inwardly winced. Something told her he knew enough about the confrontation between Clark and Dean to make this meeting uncomfortable enough to want to hide inside Sam's embrace. She clutched his hand tightly and swallowed hard. 

Sam drew in a breath and nodded slightly to Oliver and the others, carefully avoiding looking at Clark Kent. He squeezed Sarah's hand back in return. 

Chloe grip tightened on Dean just a little. 

Dean tried to smile but couldn't. Not when he'd seen Clark hidden behind Victor Stone. It looked as though he was avoiding this meeting as much as they were. Good, he thought and glanced at Oliver. I hope he's suffering. He stuck out his free hand towards Oliver and nodded. "Queen."

Oliver stood and shook Dean's hand. "'Bout time you got here," he replied with a faint smile. "I was beginning to think you were going to leave us high and dry."

"You can't expect to fight demons with all your newfangled contraptions and expect to win," Dean replied smugly and glanced at Chloe. 

She smiled softly at him. "Anyone here speak Latin?" 

Oliver grinned. "I do. All those damn Latin classes at that prep school will finally be useful."

A.C. reluctantly raised his hand as well. "Me, too. Luckily I was forced to take some Latin in college before I dropped out." 

Chloe nodded a little. "Then you've definitely got an advantage over the rest of us." 

"What's the deal with demons and Latin anyway?" Bart raised his eyebrows curiously. 

Dean cocked an eyebrow at the youngest JLA member. "Demons are repelled by the spoken word of God. Latin incantations send the bastards back to hell where they belong." 

"But why not just do it in English?" He frowned. 

"Because you have to read it in the original language it was written, in this case, Latin, since the Catholic Church used that ancient language until about sixty years ago. It’s more effective that way." Dean caught Sam's surprised look out of the corner of his eye and smirked. "What? I study!"

Oliver coughed back a laugh. "The point is... where do we get these incantations? And how do we know when we're faced with a demon?"

"For one, they're wicked strong. They'll flinch at the name of God. In Latin, that's Christo," Chloe informed them. 

Sam smiled faintly at her. "Chloe made copies of the easiest exorcism there is to perform. It's gonna be best if you can memorize it." 

Sarah handed Oliver the small stack of papers. "It's short and sweet, so it won't be too hard to memorize. Another indication of possession? Their eyes flash black. It's sudden and short, but if you pay attention to it, you'll know." She winced inwardly at her words when she saw Dean stiffen momentarily and Clark Kent slink further into his seat. 

Chloe slid her hand gently down Dean's back in an attempt to soothe his nerves. "Demons hate holy water. That's something that's very easy to get a hold of. Any water blessed by a minister or priest will do." 

"Fortunately for you guys, I have extra vials of holy water," Dean replied and dropped the bag slung over his shoulder. He let go of Chloe long enough to pull out small bottles of water in front of Oliver. He ignored the questioning look on Clark's face.

"Why not just kill them?" Clark asked quietly, uncertain his question was the right thing to ask.

Sarah looked at the others, then at Clark. "Because they're still people. Innocents possessed by evil. You can't kill the person." 

Chloe avoided looking at the members of the Justice League. 

Sam drew in a breath. "Let's go over the Latin pronunciations for the exorcism," he said, taking the lead. He didn't even have one of the packets in his hand. 

&&&&&

An hour later, Dean was tired and beyond frustrated. Though the Justice League members had caught on quickly, as no doubt they were good at everything, he couldn't handle being in the same room with the "big, dumb alien", as Chloe once called Clark Kent. He raked his fingers through his hair and avoided the large, lumbering elephant in the middle of the room. He couldn't look at him, even though he knew Clark had been watching Chloe. 

"All right, I think you're ready to perform your very own exorcism," Chloe told Bart with a small smile, handing him a bottle of holy water and a container of sea salt. 

The shortest member of the Justice League swallowed hard. "Now?" he asked uncertainly and looked around. "Like... right now?"

Dean snorted. "No, when you're up to your neck in demons and you wish you could toss and speak fast enough."

With a bright smile, Bart flashed across the room in a millisecond. "Speed's not the problem, dude."

"Neither is the talking part," Oliver joked. 

Sam rolled his eyes a little and glanced at Sarah, who was instructing Victor. He shifted his gaze and eyed A.C. warily, annoyed at the way the guy was watching his wife. Then he glanced over and saw Clark staring intently at Chloe, as if willing her to turn around, which she didn't. He narrowed his eyes and stared hard at the super-powered alien. 

"So if we ring them in salt they're trapped?" Victor asked uncertainly. 

Sarah smiled faintly and felt Sam's eyes on the back of her head for a moment. "Basically, so long as you don't break the line of salt."

"Which means?" A.C. prompted from the other table.

"You don't draw a line in the sand." Unlike me, who's about to if you don't stop looking at me like that, she thought with a grumble.

Clark felt Sam Winchester's glare on him but refused to look at him. He needed to talk to Chloe, and the fact that she was blatantly ignoring him spoke volumes. She didn't want to talk, which was always her problem. Not that he didn't have his own issues, but he was going to ignore them, for the moment.

Dean looked up from his study time with Oliver and A.C. to see this interaction: Sam watching Clark watching Chloe. And he nearly shot out of his seat towards her. Anger flashed across his eyes at the thought of that guy watching his girl. 

"Excuse me," Sam muttered to Oliver, rising to his feet and moving toward Clark, standing in front of him and cutting off his blatant staring. "We need to have a talk." His voice was low, quiet. 

Clark dragged his eyes from Chloe and stared at Sam. "Not with you," he replied. 

"Yes. With me. Right now." His voice held a hint of warning, his eyes dark. 

With a heavy sigh, Clark stood up, shut the large book he'd been trying to read the last hour, and followed Sam away from the group. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, he kept telling himself. Chloe was supposed to have this conversation, not the brother.

But based on the looks he knew he'd been getting from Dean, however, he knew this conversation would be better than what he figured Dean had in mind.

Sarah watched Sam lead Clark away from the others and frowned. What are you doing? she sent the worried thought to him. 

Taking care of business, he responded, heading outside of the building with Clark following closely. Then he turned around to face the other man, feeling an odd sense of control over the situation. "You need to knock it off," he said flatly. 

Clark crossed his arms and met Sam's furious eyes. "Knock what off?" 

"Staring at Chloe like a lost puppy," he said harshly. "She isn't interested." 

"I really couldn't care less if she was," he retorted and rolled his eyes to shake off this feeling of dread settling in his stomach. What were the odds of Chloe Sullivan never talking to him again? 

"Pretty good, actually," Sam responded evenly. 

Clark blinked. "What?" How had Sam read his thoughts? 

"You're not the only one around here with special abilities." 

So he saw, though Clark had assumed nothing special about either of the Winchesters. True, they were the only -- and therefore the best -- ghost and goblin hunters he had ever come across, but the fact that someone could actually read his mind bothered him. Clark frowned and looked at Sam, his eyes narrowed with speculation. "So, what, you're here to warn me to keep away or you're going to beat me up?" he asked aloud. 

"I won't have to. You keep that up and Dean may actually kill you." There wasn't a hint of joking in his tone. 

"I'd like to see him try." 

"He'd like to," Sam said shortly. "After all the trouble you've caused, you're lucky you don't have one of those green rocks stuffed all the way up your ass." 

"Wait, the trouble I caused?" Clark stated, a little incredulous. He crossed his arms across his massive chest. "How am I at fault here? I didn't know Chloe was actually possessed at the time!" 

"You should have," he said, his anger barely contained as he took a step toward Clark, not the least bit intimidated by his stance. "You should've realized something was wrong with her. Aren't you supposed to be her friend?" 

"Supposed to? I am. I have been for a hell of a lot longer than you and your brother have. Chloe and I have gone through so many things, it'd make your head spin. And until a year ago, I'd have known just who she was, what was wrong with her, and where she was going." Clark paused and cocked his head. Sam looked like he was about to clock him. He smirked. "You two have changed her." 

"And you almost ruined her," Sam said harshly, enjoying the other man's flinch. "You can blame little red rocks all you want, but you used her for your own twisted pleasure and left her to go after some unattainable girl with the IQ of a rock. When we found her on that highway, she didn't hesitate to come with us. She could've been getting in a car with a couple serial killers but she was willing as long as it got her the hell away from you." 

The man's message hit home. Hard. Clark didn't like the picture of himself that Sam had painted, and a small part of himself had already accepted blame for what had happened. Unfortunately, it seemed Chloe hadn't forgiven him for that night. Not really. Probably not ever. "You're right," he said finally, looking away for a second, before his gaze slid back to Sam's angry face. "I did all of that, and I apologized for it. But Chloe was the one who ran away; I didn't make her do that. She's always known who I loved, and yet she chose to be with me anyway. What's it to you, anyway?" 

"Because Chloe's like a sister to me. One day, she will be my sister," Sam informed him. "And you're not gonna screw that up. Do you understand what I'm saying, Clark?" 

He understood that, finally, at last, Chloe had found what she considered to be her place in the world, away from the noisy rooms of the Daily Planet and from the life she'd lived and known. A world without him. Without the League. A world with these two brothers and this man's wife. Where monsters were real, and she was forced to kill them.

He sighed. "Yeah, I get it. Because of you two, Chloe killed Lex, something I should've done." 

Sam's eyes were dark. "Believe it or not...she's happy with us. With Dean." His voice was quiet this time. 

"She'd better be, because I would never have put her in a position to be forced to shoot Lex." Clark's eyes swirled with irritation. 

He snorted. "If you'd been thinking with your upstairs brain in the beginning, none of this ever would have happened." 

Clark's fist suddenly tightened as the need to punch this guy in the face was great. He didn't, however, because he knew two things. One: Sam didn't look like the kind of man to take crap off anyone, and two: Clark wasn't the kind of man to instigate a fight. Not without cause. He consciously loosened his hand, letting his fingers wriggle impatiently, and muttered, "We done here?" 

"We're done," Sam agreed, moving past him and heading back toward the building. 

Clark lingered and didn't watch Sam return to the large warehouse. In fact, the thought of going back inside and listening to people rattle on about Latin, salt lines, and rocksalt made his stomach twist into knots. He suddenly felt very much like an outsider, unwelcome and unwanted. All because of four people who had chosen to intrude on what he had believed to be his band of brothers.

Clark turned towards the highway and supersped away, quicker than lightening, towards Smallville. With Lex dead, Lana had turned to him, lonely and alone. He had a desire to see her, to feel her arms around him. Hopefully, it would erase the devastating memories of Chloe Sullivan. 

&&&&&

Chloe drew in a breath as she glanced sideways at Sarah in the backseat, sensing her friend's nervousness as well as her own. It had been a long time since they'd been to Missouri's and under the circumstances; she knew it was going to be anything but a relaxing visit. 

Memories of their last visit to the older psychic's house raced through Sarah's mind, and she wished, more than ever, that they would be able to play pranks and goof off with this visit. She sighed heavily and rubbed her stomach, glancing at Chloe with worried eyes. _How you holding up?_ she asked mentally. 

She smiled faintly, keeping her mind shut off from the guys. _I'm okay._ There was a confidence in her voice that hadn't been there before. 

A serene smile graced her lips. "Good," she whispered, her voice hidden beneath the sound of Metallica surrounding them. "Because we're going to need that confidence." 

"How ya feeling?" Chloe asked quietly, gazing at her. 

She laughed. "Pregnant." She cast a heated look at the back of Sam's head. "But safe, ya know? Which is weird, considering..." 

Sam felt the weight of her stare and turned to look at her, his eyes filled with warmth. 

"Yeah, I know what you mean." 

Dean smirked at the gentle conversation between the women in the backseat. "Gee, if I didn't know any better, I'd think maybe we could win this fight," he replied and turned the music down. He looked into the rearview mirror and met Chloe's dazzling green eyes. He became momentarily lost in them and had to focus on not running them off the road. 

She smiled at him, opening her mind to him and imagining herself giving him a kiss. 

The warmth of her imaginary kiss was so real that he had to grip the steering wheel tightly. "Chloe," he whispered and shifted uncomfortably, "stop that."

Sarah colored and fought back a laugh. "Don't kill us, Dean," she said, amused. 

She chuckled softly, shutting her mind off to everyone but him. Later, she promised. 

"Yeah, later," he rumbled and pressed on the gas. He refused to believe that they weren't going to get through this, not when he suddenly saw a future for him besides endless hunting. The woman in the backseat had shown him the way to a new future. All he had to do now was make sure they could share it.

Sensing Chloe and Dean needed a moment together, Sarah looked at Sam and smiled. "Dean, pull over," she said and pointed to the approaching gas station.

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Do I want to know why?" he asked cautiously and glanced at Sam.

"Not unless you want to know the inner workings of a pregnant woman's bladder."

The Impala swerved slightly as he stepped on the brakes and turned into the parking lot. 

Chloe covered her mouth with one hand to cover up her amusement at Dean's reaction. Shaking her head a little, she watched Sarah and Sam climb out of the car and head into the station. 

"Come on," Sarah said and took Sam's hand. "I think maybe we need a moment, too." She grinned at him, her eyes twinkling. 

Sam smiled back at her, winding his other arm around her waist and pulling her close. "You're right about that." 

Dean turned around and looked at Chloe, saw the look in her eyes, and flashed her a wide grin. "Let's take advantage of this opportunity and screw later." 

She arched an eyebrow, a grin spreading across her face. "Mr. Winchester, you have a dirty mind." 

He feigned shock for a second. "Only when it comes to you." He grinned and reached for her. His hands grabbed hers and pulled her towards him. 

She groaned softly as he hauled her into the front scene with him and without hesitation she pressed her lips against his. 

Groaning, Dean felt her sink into their kiss and pressed into her body. She felt her immediate response and smiled against her lips. Images of their naked bodies, slick with love and desire, danced in his head. "Stop... that..." he muttered between kisses. _You're killing me._

"Can't help it," she whispered, sliding her hands through his short hair. 

Dean shut his eyes and threaded his fingers through her hair as he deepened the kiss. Her body pressed urgently against his, and he felt his body respond, growing hard with need. His lips moved from her lips to caress the tender spots on her neck. 

A soft whimper escaped her and she slid her hands against his chest. "Dean," she whispered. 

He sucked in a lustful breath, her scent enveloping him, and reluctantly pulled away. He looked into her confused, unseeing eyes and smiled. "Later," he whispered with a wicked grin. 

Chloe groaned and laid her head against his, closing her eyes. 

Dean tried to calm his breathing, and consequently his body, but having her so close to him made his heart throb and his being demand satisfaction. He closed his eyes and cradled her. "You know we're going to get through this," he stated, an attempt to get his mind off other pressing issues. 

"Hell yes, we are," she murmured, moving her hands to rest against his shoulders. 

"Good," he whispered and kissed the top of her head. "Good." They needed to be of one mind; nothing and no one could separate them. He instantly thought about Clark Kent but shoved it back into the recesses of his mind. She didn't need to hear that, not when he saw Sam and Sarah heading for the car. 

She saw it anyway, her eyes softening as she pulled away to look at him. "You were right the first time. Nothing and no one can separate us again." Her voice was firm. 

A warm smile crossed his lips. "Damn straight." He glanced down at his ring, which was once again set on her right hand, and kissed her palm quickly. "When this is over, Chloe... clean slate? With everything?" He looked back up at her, face set with determination. 

"I'd like that," she whispered, lifting her hand to his cheek. 

Dean grinned, an ear-splitting grin designed to dazzle her. 

She grinned back at him, her eyes sparkling in response to his smile. She kissed him once more, softly this time, her hand lingering on his cheek for a brief moment. 

The gentle pressure against his lips was the constant reminder: he would willingly give his life for this woman, as he would for Sam and Sarah. Who would have thought it? he wondered. Sam was wrong: picking up blondes wasn't always a bad thing. He wondered at what he would have missed had they kept driving.

He pulled back just in time to see Sam and Sarah get in the backseat, Sarah flushed and looking well-kissed. She mirrored the delightful flush that had spread across Chloe's cheeks. He smirked and looked at Sam. "Never tell me, dude." 

Sam smirked at him. "Shut up, Jerk." 

Dean kissed Chloe's cheek and moved back into the driver's seat. "Bitch," he replied and shot a fond glare at Sam.

"You two are definitely brothers," Sarah whispered and leaned her head against Sam's shoulder. 

He grinned and wrapped an arm around his wife. "Yeah. We definitely are." 

With a triumphant smile, Dean pulled Chloe close to him and started the Impala. He looked down at the gas tank indicator and saw they had a few hours' worth of driving ahead of them before they had to stop. As he drove them out of the parking lot, he thought about their present situation and the calmness they all felt: the calm before the storm. And they were walking into the worst one of their lives.

But the feeling of peace remained, nevertheless. He clung to it, as he felt Chloe's presence next to him. A united front. The one advantage they had over the yellow-eyed demon. 

&&&&&

For the third time in his life, Dean found himself in a place he'd sworn he'd never return to. Lawrence, Kansas. He thought maybe making oaths like that were unhealthy, given the number of times he had returned to where it had all started in various forms: with Sam to exorcise their old house, with the current inhabitants of the Impala to cure Chloe... and now the final fight. And he was suddenly uncertain of their future.

He cast a glance at Sam from the rearview mirror and met his brother's troubled hazel eyes. He knew Sam was thinking the same thing. The car was parked in Missouri Moseley's driveway, but none of them had gotten out. 

"Well. Here we are," Sam murmured, making no move to open the door. 

"Yeah, we're here," he replied but gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

Sarah watched the brothers and let out a breath. The butterflies that had lain dormant now resumed their furious fluttering in her stomach; no amount of blackmail was going to make them go away. 

Chloe drew in a breath and turned her head to look at Dean from her spot in the passenger seat. Resting a hand on his arm for a moment, she was the first to reach for the door handle, pulling on it and slowly rising to her feet. 

Sighing, Dean followed suit and got out. He turned to see Sam and Sarah do the same, though he zeroed in on his brother. _Dude, I have a feeling we're not going to have much time to prepare,_ he thought. 

_I have the same feeling,_ Sam thought back, meeting his gaze momentarily. 

He walked around and took Chloe's hand, his concerned eyes scanning her face. 

She offered him a small smile, threading her fingers through his. 

Silence surrounded them like a fog as they approached Missouri's house. Too much to say, not enough time to say it. And it didn't help that Missouri was standing on her front porch, her eyes dark with concern.

"It's good you got here. We don't have much time." Missouri's voice was grave. 

"No kidding," Dean snarked under his breath. A warning look from the older woman silenced him, however: she was right, and now wasn't the time for games.

"Hi, Missouri," Sarah whispered with a small smile. 

Missouri shifted her gaze to the pretty brunette, a genuine, warm smile spreading across her face. "Come on in, Sarah. You should sit." 

She blushed but complied. She sat down next to Sam on the large sofa.

Dean followed Chloe inside and eyed Missouri. "So please tell me you have something we can use." 

"I have information. Unfortunately that's about the best I can do." She gazed at him. 

Dean let out a frustrated breath but bit back his snide remark. "Okay, so what do you have?" 

"I know exactly where this demon's gathering his army." 

Sam stared at her in surprise, then slowly turned his head to look at Dean. 

Dean paled a little, and his face turned hard. "Where, Missouri?" he demanded quietly.

"Right here in Lawrence," she said grimly. "In a cemetery." 

Chloe frowned. "Why here?" She shook her head. 

"Because this is where it all started," Sam said quietly, rising to his feet. 

Sarah watched Sam stand up and fill up the room with his power. She knew what he was talking about: their mother. How Mary Winchester had died, pinned to the ceiling and engulfed in flames. She glanced at Dean and saw his eyes widen.

"Because Mom died here?" he whispered and looked at Sam. "What's the name of this cemetery? What's so special about it?" 

"It's called Stull Cemetery," Missouri informed them. "And according to legend...there's a gateway." 

"A gateway," Chloe repeated, her stomach twisting into a knot. 

"To hell," she finished quietly. 

Sarah sucked in a frightened breath and put her hands on her stomach. She'd felt the baby kick with Missouri's words and knew he wasn't happy about that, either.

"What, so hell's gonna bust out?" Dean demanded, growing angrier by the minute. 

"I don't know what's coming," Missouri admitted, looking at him intently. "But I know that demon's planning to use that place for that reason." 

Sam rubbed a hand over his face, turning away to look out the window. "Makes sense. We know Lex Luthor has an army of metahumans at the ready in absentia, and they'd be that much more powerful if a slew of demons were fighting alongside them." 

"Or inside them," Chloe murmured, a frightening thought occurring to her. 

Dean turned to look at Chloe. "That would explain why Luthor was working for the damn thing," he replied, voice hard as nails.

"If we're talking about demons possessing metahumans..." Chloe drew in a breath and held his gaze, thinking how much power Meg had had with her ability to read minds. 

"Then we're screwed if we don't find some way of stopping this," he finished for her and looked over at Sam. 

"Demons on their own are bad enough," Sam said grimly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Sarah cast a look at Chloe. "And if they're possessing someone with enhanced abilities..." Suddenly feeling sick with panic, she stood up and ran for the bathroom. 

She rose to her feet, chewing on her lower lip nervously. "We need to get everyone in the JLA anti-possession charms ASAP." 

"Agreed," Dean replied and began his habitual pacing. "Is there someone in town who can charm things?" he asked Missouri. 

"I can," she confirmed, rising to her feet. "I'll get to work." 

"Good." He headed for the front door. "Time to clean guns and stock up on ammo."

"Dean." Chloe's voice was almost inaudible. 

"What?"

"I need to go to Smallville," she whispered. 

Dean stopped and closed his eyes. The last thing he wanted was to let her out of his sight, but at the same time, he knew Chloe wanted to see her cousin. He couldn't deny her that. And she had all the anti-possession protection she'd need. "Take the Impala," he said and looked back at her. 

She swallowed hard, moving over to him and winding her arms around his waist tightly. 

He kissed the top of her head and held her close to him tightly. _I wish I could come with you,_ he thought and rubbed her back gently. 

_I wish you could, too,_ she thought morosely, placing a kiss against his collarbone. 

_If you're not back in two days_... he shot that thought out as a hand crept into her hair. He tangled his fingers through the silken strands and memorized the feel of her pressed against him. Just in case. 

_I'll be back by tomorrow evening,_ she promised silently, pulling back and pressing her lips against his. 

Sam coughed quietly to remind them they weren't alone, but when he noticed Sarah hadn't come back, he grew worried about her. He cast a look at Missouri and strode down the hall.

I love you, Dean thought and pressed a lingering kiss on her lips. 

"I love you too," she whispered, gazing up at him intently. 

"Boy, let that girl go already," Missouri interrupted. "She's in good hands, and you got work to do, remember?"

Dean rolled his eyes and pulled away from Chloe. "I'll see you out, okay? Gotta get stuff from the Impala." 

She smiled faintly and followed him outside, waving to Missouri as she headed down the porch steps. She shivered involuntarily as a single dark cloud blotted out the sun for a moment. 

"Don't," he said and grabbed her hand. "Don't let anything get in your way, Chloe." Dean sounded urgent, his face tense with anticipated worry. 

She knew what he meant and she nodded slightly, standing on her tiptoes and kissing him urgently once more. "I'll be back soon." 

Dean held her close to him, arms straining her body against his as their lips met and lingered for several moments. "You better be," he growled. "Call me when you get to Smallville. I want to know you're okay." 

"I will," she promised, touching his cheek and hesitantly taking the keys from him. "You sure it's okay that I take the car?" 

He smirked. "My girl'll take care of you," he replied confidently. "Besides, even after I cart out the stuff to clean, you'll still have an arsenal just in case of attack." He moved away from her and popped the trunk, rummaging for things as he spoke. 

Chloe watched him intently and drew in a breath when he was finished. "I'll talk to you soon." 

Slinging the bag of weapons carefully over his shoulder, Dean smiled and took a moment to etch her face into his mind. They would be together again soon, but a small voice in the back of his head wondered when that would be. "Stay safe," he whispered. 

"You too," she whispered back, swallowing hard as she slowly headed for the driver's side, her heart beating quickly in her chest. 

He watched her start the engine, the soft purr of life from the Impala, and back out of the driveway. Closing his eyes, Dean sent her a mental image of what they would do upon her arrival back to Lawrence and smiled softly.

When he heard silence, he turned and trudged back into Missouri's house. The older woman might grumble, but he was going to keep himself busy as hell while Chloe was gone. There was too much to plan for. 

&&&&&

"Sarah?" Sam knocked softly on the bathroom door and waited patiently for a response. 

Shivering with terror, Sarah struggled to get off the bathroom floor, her stomach now emptied of whatever meal she'd eaten last. She couldn't however; her legs felt like Jell-O, and the butterflies inside threatened to revolt once more. "Come in," she replied weakly and leaned her head against the side of the sink. 

He quickly stepped inside and shut the door behind him, kneeling down beside her and gathering her into his arms. Pressing a kiss against her temple, he shut his eyes. 

The tears wanted to come out, but she wouldn't let them go. Nor could she relax in Sam's embrace. "I have to call my father," she whispered woodenly. The thought that they might not survive had hit her squarely in the face the moment she realized they would be fighting people, with super human abilities... on top of demonic possession. She shuddered violently, despite the warmth that encompassed her. 

He paused, gently rubbing her back as he held her close. "We're gonna be okay, Sarah," he whispered softly. 

_Are we? Not so sure._

_You're protected,_ he reminded her gently. 

_Doesn't mean something can't break through that barrier,_ she thought, panic beginning to set in. 

"I am not gonna let that happen, Sarah." His voice was firm, assuring. 

"I need to call my father," she whispered and ignored his assurance. 

Sighing softly, he reluctantly loosened his grip on her. "Okay." 

She once again tried to get to her feet but couldn't. "I... need help," she told him quietly, voice numbed with fear. 

Sam slid his arms around her and gently helped her to her feet, kissing her forehead. 

She turned in his arms and grabbed the lapels of his coat. "I love you, Sam," she whispered, "but I'm just kinda freaking out, okay? Hormones and all that." A warbly smile flitted across her lips, though it didn't touch her eyes. 

"I know you are." He cupped her cheek in one hand and gazed at her intently. "And I love you too." 

His caress was soft and loving. Sarah placed a kiss into the palm of his large, capable hand. "I might... be awhile with my father," she said. 

He nodded his understanding and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be down the hall if you need me." 

She nodded and sucked in a frightened breath. Following Sam out of the bathroom, Sarah took out her cell phone and moved into one of Missouri's spare bedrooms, the one she recognized as having shared with Chloe the last time they were here. She sat down heavily on one of the beds and dialed her father's number. 

"Hello?" 

She sucked in a breath at her father's formal voice. "Dad?" she whispered. 

There was a pause. "Hello, Sarah." 

"H-Hi, Dad." She didn't hear anything on the other end and wondered if calling had been the right thing. What exactly did she say? I'm calling to say I'm married, pregnant, and going to maybe die? "How are you?" 

"Just fine," he said formally. "And you?" 

Married. Pregnant. Probably going to die. "I'm fine," she stammered over her words and ignored the screaming in her head. 

"That's good. I've been worried since you vanished off the face of the earth, so it seems." 

"I haven't... vanished," she replied, a little irritated. "It's not like you've made any attempt to contact me." 

"I figured if you needed to speak with me, you'd call, considering you're the one who abandoned the gallery." 

"I didn't abandon the gallery, Dad," she replied. "I walked out. You didn't want me to have my own life, so I left." 

"Nonsense." 

"No it's not, and you know it." Her gut twisted inside as the tears began streaming down her face. Even after all this time, they were strangers. Her father didn't miss her, and from the icy cold tone of voice, he wouldn't understand anything. 

He sighed impatiently. "Is there something you needed?" 

"No, Dad," she replied in as empty a voice as possible. "Just that I love you. And there are a hundred things to tell you, but it doesn't matter anymore." 

There was a moment of silence. "Are you all right?" 

"Fine, Dad. Just fine." She paused and opened her mouth to speak. The words, though, stuck in her throat. "Take care of yourself." 

"You too." His voice sounded confused. 

"Good bye." With that whispered word, Sarah took the phone off her ear and shut it off. Mournfully, she looked at the open door and the hallway and thought about how she could make things right with him after the fight. Or if she could. She thought about going to look for Sam, but fatigue prevented her: she slid slowly back onto the bed and rested her head on the pillow. Her eyelids closed involuntarily, and her body settled into a dreamless sleep. It was escape from the horror of the last day. 

&&&&&

Sam had checked in on Sarah awhile after her phone call and found her asleep, a troubled expression on her face. He'd slid a hand over her forehead and watched her visibly relax a bit before he kissed her softly and rose to his full height, heading into the living room where his brother was cleaning guns. 

"How is she?" Dean asked, his hands working effortlessly on cleaning out a handgun chamber. He was trying his damnedest to not think about where Chloe was, or if she'd gotten to her cousin's place, or if she was dead in a ditch somewhere: cleaning out the guns, though, kept his mind on what they needed to focus on.

The fact that Sam was worried about his wife wasn't helping, either. 

"Sleeping," he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. 

He glanced up at the dark look on his brother's face. "She okay?" 

"I don't know," Sam admitted. "I don't think the talk with her dad went over so well." 

He grunted and clicked the chamber back into place. "I never did like that guy. He took stuffy to a whole new level." 

"Yeah, and he wasn't exactly the world's best father." 

Dean snorted in agreement and put a handgun aside to work on sharpening his favorite knife. "No argument there," he replied. "So what do you say we check out this cemetery Missouri mentioned? If the shit's going to hit the ceiling here, might as well take a look at the battleground." 

Sam met his eyes and nodded slowly. They were going to need every advantage they could find. 

Dean sighed and shook his head. "Dude, stop with the mopey face, okay? Sarah's going to be fine, just like Chloe is." He'd have thought his brother would learn to be less angsty now that he was married. 

He rolled his eyes. "I am less angsty. But we do have the battle of a lifetime ahead." 

"But does that mean you have to be all Mr. Doom and Gloom?" Dean sheathed his knife and stood up, slapping hands against his jacket. He had forgotten the Impala was with Chloe, so keys were nowhere to be found. Damn. 

"I still can't believe you let her take the car." He smirked as he headed for the door. 

Dean made a face. "I can't believe I did, either," he agreed and followed his brother out the front door. "Guess she's officially in my inner circle of trust." 

Sam smiled and glanced at him sideways as they stepped off the porch. 

"So where is this thing, anyway?" he asked and pulled his jacket against him. The feel of cold steel tucked into the waistband of his jeans was a comfortable feeling, one he definitely needed with what they were going to be up against. 

"Ten miles outside of town. It's gonna be a long walk." 

"Dude, why walk when we can borrow Missouri’s car?" Dean replied with a smirk, ran back inside and reappeared moments later with the older woman’s car keys. “Besides, she said we’d better be back before dark because she’ll have some home-cooked food ready.” He made a yummy face as he got in the driver’s side of Missouri’s old two-door car. 

Sam elbowed him. "What else is new? You're always stuffing your face." 

He smacked Sam on the arm. "Hey, I'm always hungry! Do you know how tired I am of Mini-Mart food? Blech." He started the car and backed it out of the driveway. He turned on the radio and winced at the classical music that emanated from the speakers, so he turned it off again.

He chuckled. "If we never have McDonalds again after this is all said and done it'll be a day too soon." 

"Think Sarah knows how to cook? Because a home cooked meal every night would kick some serious ass." As he spoke, Dean realized how much he suddenly didn't want to spend the rest of his life on the road, living the life of a full-time hunter. He wanted to have something outside hunting, like most hunters did. And he wanted that life to be with Chloe Sullivan. He wondered if she could cook. 

"I don't know if she can or not," he admitted. "We haven't really had the chance to find out." He scratched the back of his neck, a small frown on his face. Something occurred to him. "Dean?" 

"Yeah, Sammy?" 

"Say we do all make it through this...what happens then?" His voice was uncertain. 

Dean's brows furrowed as he wondered, for the first time, what the future held. "I don't know," he replied after a long moment. "I know what I want, but..." He bit his tongue and wondered if he really was capable of settling down. 

"Sure you are," Sam said quietly. "I sorta meant...you think we'll end up in separate places?" There was a hint of sadness in his eyes. 

Slowing the car at a stoplight, he turned to look at Sam, hurt in his eyes. "You think that's going to happen?" he demanded quietly. "You think I'm going to let you and Sarah walk off into the sunset and never see you again?" 

"I'm not walking off into any sunset without my whole family," Sam responded quietly. 

"Good, because neither am I," he replied with a grin. "If you're not living next door, then there's something wrong." 

Sam's grin was wide; the light turned green and they drove out of Lawrence, towards Stull. 

They made the rest of the drive in relative silence, the trek out of town effortless, since the streets were relatively empty for a late October afternoon. The cool wind blew softly, and as they finally reached the gates of Stull Cemetery, Dean wondered at the false sense of peace surrounding them. He assumed the quiet would have held the sense of impending doom he was fighting within himself. He parked the car beside the cemetery’s entrance and they got out.

"It's too quiet," Sam murmured, his eyes scanning over the graveyard. 

"Yeah, too quiet," he replied and was surprised to find the front gates unlocked. It was almost like something was waiting for them. He opened one side, heard the eerie squeak, and moved inside. 

Sam followed him closely, hand resting against the pistol beneath his jacket. 

They moved through the cemetery, maneuvered around the various graves and tombstones. Dean couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched, that something was hiding behind the nearest tree or marble marker. Waiting to jump out at them at any moment. He reached behind him, grabbed his gun, and held it close to his side as they walked uphill towards what seemed to be the center of the cemetery: the remains of a church. 

"Dean, is this--" 

" -- a pile of rubble that used to be a church?" 

"Yeah." His voice was hushed and he slowly knelt down on the ground. 

Dean scanned the area and noted the fact that the spot of crumbled church was the highest spot of the cemetery itself. That made him think that, if the yellow-eyed demon made its stand anywhere, it would be around what was left of the structure. "Dude, I think it's time to get into research mode." He gave his brother a speculative look as he watched a shudder pass across Sam's shoulder. 

"I'm not so sure this was ever intended to be holy ground," he murmured. 

Dean felt a tremor of evil under his feet and shuddered inwardly. "What gave you that idea, Sam?" he muttered and looked down. 

"Let's get outta here." 

Another rift shook him, and he literally felt something demonic reach out of the ground and try to grab onto his legs. "Got no complaints here," he said and took off towards the front gate quickly. Dean looked back only once to make sure Sam was behind him. 

"From beneath you it devours," Sam mumbled as he made his way out of the cemetery behind his brother. 

Dean snorted but made no comment as they left the cemetery. Something troubled him greatly about that crumbled bit of rock, and he was more than sure there was a history there. He intended to find out. 

&&&&&

Chloe drew in a breath as she guided the Impala into her former place of residence, grimacing involuntarily at the familiar sights. An uneasy feeling settled upon her, and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel a little as she made her way toward the Talon apartment, hoping Lois was there. 

Lois was making another attempt at grabbing her box of chocolate chip cookies from the very top of the kitchen shelf. She cursed under her breath and wondered why she even bothered keeping junk food around if she was only going to hide it from herself.

So when she heard a knock on the door, she shouted, "Come in!" and didn't look to see who opened the door. 

The door opened and Chloe stepped inside, immediately grinning at what her cousin was trying to do. "You know, you really don't need to diet in the first place." 

Lois grabbed onto a shelf and looked down at Chloe. A wide, cheesy grin graced her lips. "Tell that to my scale. You wouldn't believe the stress I've been under lately, and I have been eating like a pig!" She got off the chair and practically ran to her cousin. She embraced her warmly for a moment. "When did you get here?" 

"Just now." She hugged her back tightly, shutting her eyes. 

She felt a tremor run across Chloe's shoulders and pulled back to look at her. "What's wrong?" Lois asked sharply. 

She offered her cousin a smile in an attempt to cover up her dread. "Just missed you. How've you been? Other than stressed out?" 

"Busy," she replied but frowned. "You know I can sense your avoidance dance a million miles away. What gives?" She moved back to the kitchen and grabbed a couple sodas from the refrigerator. 

Chloe drew in a breath and let it out slowly, knowing her cousin well enough to know if she didn't just fess up to the whole truth and nothing but, Lois would find a way to pull it out of her anyway. "Just your typical approaching apocalypse." 

The cans thunked on the table. "What?!" she demanded, horrified. "What apocalypse?" Lois suddenly looked behind Chloe, towards the door. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Where's Dean and your crew?" 

"A couple hours from here, getting ready." Her voice was grim. 

Lois had to sit, because her legs threatened to give beneath her. "Chlo, what the hell is going on?" she whispered, panic in her voice. 

Dammit. She'd been counting on Lois not to panic. Drawing in a breath, she moved toward the table and slowly sat down. "You know how demons exist, right?" Her voice was quiet. 

Lois nodded solemnly. 

"Well, one of the worst ones is about to open a gateway to hell." 

Lois swallowed hard for a moment, then looked at Chloe hard. "There's a gateway to hell?" 

She nodded slightly, holding her cousin's gaze. "There is." 

For a long moment, Lois couldn't speak. Didn't know what to say, actually. Gateways to hell existed: what were the odds? she thought. She looked away and stood up. "And you and Dean and Sam and Sarah? You're going to fight this thing?" 

"Pretty much." Her voice was quiet. "There's not really a choice." 

Lois sucked in a breath. "Please tell me Superman knows about this," she muttered under her breath. 

Chloe looked up at her, startled by her words. "Superman." 

"Yeah, Superman," she reiterated with a smirk. "Haven't you been reading the Daily Planet lately, or has Dean been keeping you... busy?" 

A faint blush touched her cheeks. "Among other things, yes, actually." 

Lois chuckled and opened her can of soda. "Hey, at least you got over Smallville, though Dean had better be treating you right." She paused. "But the last few months, there have been some major crime sprees in Metropolis, and some guy wearing blue and red spandex, flying in the sky, has been helping bring in the crime bosses." She shook her head. 

A very, very faint smile touched her lips and she looked at the floor for a moment. "Spandex huh?" 

A faraway, amused smile lit up Lois's face. "God, yes. Tight and fits in all the right places..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes glazed over for a minute, lost in her memory. Chloe coughing loudly shook her out of it. "But again, not the point," she continued, a little red. 

Chloe bit her lower lip and tried to keep a straight face. "Someone has a crush." 

"Crush?" Lois made a face. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She looked away and silently sipped her soda. 

"Uh huh. Anyway." She shook her head a little, wondering why it was that people in her family tended to be drawn to the same individuals. "Yes, Dean's taking good care of me." 

"Good, Chloe. You deserve the best, and I'm glad he's that for you." Lois smiled sadly and looked at her cousin. "After Clark, I never thought you'd get over farm-bred boys." 

"Yeah, well." A smile touched her lips as she thought about Dean. "Me either. But now...I can't even imagine being with anyone else." 

"Oh really?" she asked, a little surprised. "So we talking long term, marriage material here?" 

Chloe paused. Marriage wasn't something she'd really allowed herself to consider. "Definitely long-term." 

Lois smiled widely. "Good. Because if he hurts you..." She waggled a finger under her cousin's nose threateningly. 

"He won't." There was quiet confidence in her voice, something she'd never had before when talking about a guy she was in a relationship with. 

Lois's smiled faltered after a moment: as grateful as she was that Chloe had finally found someone worthy of her, the fact that both of them were willingly putting their lives on the line scared the hell out of her. "Chloe," she whispered, "did you come here to... say..." She couldn't finish her question, as troubling as it was. 

"I hope not," she said just as softly. 

You'd better not, she thought with an inward wince. "Is there anything I can... do? I take it this is the kind of front page material that's never going to see the light of day." 

"Pretty much." She smiled faintly. "But if t was...I'd give you the scoop." 

"So, going to stay for a bit?" she asked, voice hopeful. "I'm sure you want to hear everything about how dorky Clark's been lately, and how much I want to kick Jimmy's butt for being a pain in mine." 

She winced a little at the mention of Clark. "Yeah, I'm gonna stay for awhile. What's Jimmy doing?" 

Lois laughed. "You mean besides being a trigger-happy photographer who butts his nose into places he has no right to be?" 

"Sounds like Jimmy all right." 

Lois opened her mouth to speak when she heard a hard pounding on the door. She rolled her eyes and walked to it. "That's a Clark 'let me in now' knock if I ever heard it," she retorted. 

Chloe tensed on the sofa, swallowing hard, her heart sinking. Great. 

She yanked the door open and, with an exasperated look, stated, "What do you want, Smallville? I'm a little busy at the moment."

Clark looked a little sheepishly at Lois. "I need a favor," he began before his eyes landed on Chloe's hesitant face.

"Look, Clark, I am not your Google girl!" Lois protested but was nearly pushed aside as Clark tried to walk into the apartment. 

Chloe slowly rose to her feet, meeting Clark's eyes wordlessly. 

"Smallville," Lois said firmly, "we're a little busy here. Can you come back later?" She smirked defiantly at him, in her get the hell away motion of protectiveness.

Clark just looked at Lois. "I need to speak with Chloe, okay?" he said quietly and glanced at the blonde. "If she's okay with that." 

"Yeah. I'm okay with that." Her voice was quiet and she laid a hand on Lois' arm gently. "It's okay, Lois." 

Sensing the sudden intensity of the atmosphere between Clark and her cousin, Lois frowned and looked at Chloe. "What's going on, Coz?" she whispered. 

"I'll explain later," she said softly. 

She almost said something, but the look on Chloe's face stopped her. Instead she nodded and touched her cousin's arm gently. "I'll be downstairs if you need me," she said. Turning, Lois shot Clark a warning glance that spoke of sharp objects being stuck into certain orifices if he dared to hurt her loved ones. She disappeared out the door but left it open.

Clark stood just inside the apartment and shifted awkwardly on one foot. 

"You can come in Clark. I don't have any little green rocks." Her voice was quiet. 

A small smile tugged at his lips. "Sure about that? It's not like I don't deserve writhing in pain for a few hours," he admitted, but stepped further into the apartment. He walked to the couch and sat down, unwilling to be in close proximity of her. 

Chloe was silent for a moment and then she slowly sat down in the recliner across from the couch. "I don't wanna see you in pain." 

He glanced at her, surprise on his face. "Really?" he asked, a little awed by her confession. "You're just saying that because Dean's probably out for blood he'll never get because I don't bleed." 

She sighed softly and looked at the floor for a moment. "Regardless what's happened between us in the past, I don't want anything bad to happen to you, Clark." 

"Like I never wanted anything bad to happen to you, Chloe," he replied simply and looked at his hands, "but that happened anyway. And by my own free will, too." He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. 

"It wasn't really your fault. Meg...the uh...the demon that possessed me. She was out to hurt Dean and she used you to do it." 

"But you told me how you felt, Chloe. You told me you loved Dean, and I should've known the minute you called that something was wrong." 

"Kinda like I knew how you felt about Lana all those months ago when you were dosed on Red-K," she said quietly. 

Clark winced at the memory. It was something he knew he'd regret for the rest of his immortal-living-on-Earth life. "Yeah," he whispered mournfully. "Guess that makes us even, then." 

Chloe nodded very slightly. "So how about you do your Superman thing and help save the world from being overrun by meteor-infected possessees?" 

He chuckled a little. "I planned on that whether you wanted me or not." 

A smile tugged at her lips. "I have a feeling we're gonna need all the help we can get." 

"Going to be that bad?" 

"'Fraid so," she said quietly. "There's a cemetery in Lawrence. That's where the demon's going to make his move." 

Clark looked over at Chloe and frowned. "Then that means Lex's meteor freak army's going to head that way. We need to tell the rest of the Justice League." 

"They know. I called Ollie on my way here." 

"Got any idea when the fun starts?" he asked. 

"Soon. Really soon, Clark." Her voice was barely a whisper and she rose to her feet, moving to look out the window. 

He watched her walk away but kept his spot on the couch. He wished there was something to say, something that would wash away the memory of what had happened only weeks ago. But nothing would change that. And Clark found himself grateful to Dean Winchester for finding Chloe and taking care of her, though he suspected she held her own with that brand of hunter. "Guess I ought to head towards the Watchtower, then," he whispered. 

"And I need to get back to Lawrence." She winced a little as her body ached for Dean's presence, and her mind ached for Sam and Sarah's, as well. She hadn't realized how difficult being away from them for a few hours would be when she wasn't on the run. 

Clark stood up and glanced her way uncertainly. "Look, Chlo, I'm sorry for... everything," he stammered. "I hope, in time, we can be friends again without your boyfriend trying to kill me." 

She slowly turned to look at him. "Me too." Her voice was quiet. "So how's Lana?" 

Clark mustered a sad smile. "She's okay, considering."

Chloe was quiet for a moment. "Maybe it makes me a horrible person, but I don't regret doing what I had to do." 

"I know you don't. And if I'm actually honest with myself... neither do I. I just wish I'd done it years ago." 

She held his gaze and offered him a tiny smile. "It's just too bad that it didn't put an end to all the lunacy. Lex's legacy of being batshit crazy continues and I can't help but fear that..." She shook her head. 

Clark cocked an eyebrow, his face etched with concern. "What?" 

"I don't think we're all gonna make it through this." Her voice was pained and she slowly sat down on the sofa once more. 

Sitting down quickly, Clark put an arm around her and squeezed her briefly. "Don't say that," he replied gently. "We're all going to make it, every one of us. We've got everything we need to fight demons, weird as it is, and I know the Winchesters have found ways to keep you and Sarah protected... right?" 

"It's not me I'm worried about," she confessed, swallowing hard. 

"Then who?" 

Chloe looked up at him with deep-seated fear in her eyes. 

A shudder of fear zipped through him as he read the name on her face: Dean. She was worried about Dean Winchester. Didn't he know how to protect himself, though? Clark thought. He had proven himself as a sharp hunter and a smart guy, albeit a smartass most of the time. So wouldn't he think about himself? 

"Yeah, he is very smart," she whispered. "And he knows how to take care of himself. But Dean...is...if any one of us is in danger, he's gonna jump in front of us." 

Clark smirked. "So who's going to jump in front of him, then?" 

Pressing her lips together, she stood up. 

Clark didn't like her closed mouth response, so he got to his feet and followed her. "I'll protect him," he offered. 

She turned to look at him once more, studying him intently. "You will?" 

He nodded solemnly. "I will, only do me a favor, will ya? Don't mention it to him. I think he'd just as soon shoot me as let me keep him out of harm's way." 

"You're probably right about that," she said softly. 

Clark nodded with a faint smile on his lips. "Okay, then. If I see him trying to toss himself into the funeral pyre for the sake of his loved ones, I'll be there to rescue him. I can deal with the fallout after the war's over." 

"Thank you, Clark," she said softly. "That means more than you'll ever know." 

"It's the least I could do," he replied. "I'm just... I'm... I'm glad you're happy, Chloe. That's what matters." 

A faint smile touched her lips. She touched his arm for a moment before heading to the door. "I'll see you soon." 

Clark nodded and watched her leave. If things had been better, he began to think, but shut down his mind. No use in thinking about the past. Time to shut the door on that and worry about the near future. 

&&&&&

The drive back to Lawrence was longer than she wanted, but she pressed her foot on the gas pedal and sped the whole way, somehow managing to avoid any police that might have stopped her for speeding. Maybe luck really was on their side. She pulled in front of Missouri's a little after Midnight, parking the car in her driveway and climbing from the Impala quickly. 

Dean had almost fallen asleep from reading what he considered to be way too much information on the Stull Cemetery. Stupid Internet and all the crap out there, he wondered and rubbed his eyes. When they had gotten back to the house, Sam had pushed his laptop into his hands and headed back to check on Sarah. The problem was, Sam never came back out, and that worried Dean to no end. They all had to remain strong, and he had a feeling something was terribly wrong with Sarah.

However, the reading and searching -- which he admittedly sucked at -- had kept him from obsessing over Chloe's whereabouts. Aside from her phone call saying she was in Smallville, he hadn't heard anything. That might have been a good thing, but considering what they were about to face...

When he heard the Impala's low growl in the driveway, he bolted out of his seat, slapped the computer shut and headed for the door. 

She wasn't the least bit surprised when he met her on the porch. Wordlessly she launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly and not letting go. 

Dean brushed the hair from her cheek and stroked her there with his thumb. "Been waiting for you," he growled and planed a kiss on the top of her head. He held her close, his arms protective and possessive. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed her. And she'd only been gone the better part of a day. 

"I know," she murmured, pulling away a little and pressing her lips against his. "Me too."

"Missed you," he whispered between feather-light kisses. 

"Missed you," she echoed softly, closing her eyes. "How are the others?" 

Dean inhaled the scent of her hair, the fragrant shampoo she used, and frowned. "Good question," he replied and stepped away. "Sarah called her father, and from the looks of things, I'm thinking it didn't go so well." 

She winced a little. "Poor Sarah," she whispered. 

He sighed and ducked his head to look at her. "Sam's been with her since he and I got back from Stull Cemetery." 

She met his eyes. "What's it like?" 

"Like hell's about to bust loose all over." He led them into the main room and sat down next to her on the couch. He played with her hair, tucking it behind her ear, a half-smile on his face. "But that can wait until later." 

"Yeah? You got something else in mind?" she teased softly, curling up against him. 

His hands twisted in her hair, Dean pulled her head back so she was looking up at him. Mischief twinkled in her beautiful eyes. "Maybe," he replied softly, "unless you have something better to do." He moved close to her face but stopped inches from her lips. 

"I can't think of a single thing better to do," she whispered, lifting a hand to his cheek. 

He smirked, closed the space between their mouths, and planted a heated kiss to her full lips. He pulled her into his chest and sucked on her lower lip gently. 

Chloe shifted so she was sitting on his lap, her fingers slowly tangling in his short hair. It felt good to be with him again and for the moment...even if it was just for a moment...she was able to forget about what was hanging over their heads like a funnel cloud, waiting to suck them all into the vortex. 

"Hey," he muttered against her lips, "cut it out with the doom and gloom. I'm trying to concentrate." He put his hands on her hips and rolled her against him gently. 

She groaned softly as the action sent sparks of need through her body. She leaned her forehead against his, nibbling lightly on his lip. 

With one hand wrapped around her bottom, Dean managed to slide off the couch and scoop her into his arms. He pulled away and looked at her. "What do you say we continue this in another room," he rasped and kissed her. 

"I think you know my answer for that," she whispered, returning the kiss with urgency. 

He tore his mouth from her and fumbled his way back to their room. But as they passed Sam and Sarah's door, Dean couldn't help but wonder if they were going to be alright. 

&&&&&

Sam lay behind Sarah, his arms wound around her protectively, his face buried in her long black hair. "I'm sorry things with your dad didn't go well." 

"I shouldn't be surprised that he didn't outright tell me off," she replied with a mournful sigh. She threaded her fingers through Sam's and snuggled into his warmth. 

He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. "If you want...when this is over, we'll go see him. Talk to him in person." His voice was soft. 

She nodded gently. "That would be nice, though I don't know if... he'd want to see me. It's not like I've kept in touch, and how can I tell him everything that's happened?" She was fighting tears, which was the last thing they needed. Sarah knew she had to get herself together and do something to help out the rest of their family: research, plot, whatever. Being a slave to her emotions? Not so much of the good. 

"You're being too hard on yourself," he said gently, resting a hand against her stomach. "We'll figure it all out, Sarah. I promise." 

"But Sam," she protested quietly, "shouldn't I be hard on myself? I mean, really, what have I done lately but be pregnant?" 

"Other than keep me grounded and keep Chloe and Dean from falling to pieces?" He nudged her gently. "Plus the researching and demon hunting." 

She shut her eyes and tried to picture herself as the woman Sam had painted: strong and patient, intelligent and brave. She shook her head. She didn't see it, but she had to get herself out of her self-imposed funk. It wasn't doing any of them good.

"I love you," Sam whispered, slowly leaning up on one elbow and looking down at her. 

Sarah shut her eyes and smiled. "I love you, too, Sam Winchester," she whispered. "I don't know where I'd be without you." 

"Ditto." 

"I'd roll over and kiss you now, but I think our son might not want that." She felt a couple gentle taps against her ribs and chuckled. 

He grinned and gently placed his hand over her stomach, feeling their son move. "That's so amazing," he murmured. 

"Just like his father," she whispered and sighed softly. She closed her eyes and opened her mind to his -- she showed him what she hoped they would have someday: a home, their children, a relatively normal life. Something she knew Sam had longed for. Something she wanted for them, too. She covered his hand resting on her stomach and squeezed it. 

"We will have that," he vowed softly, burying his face against her hair and kissing her neck softly. 

I hope so. The thought lingered, and Sarah let her mind wander to happier times ahead of them, with Dean and Chloe around to complete their family. In that moment, she decided to let their future settle in her heart, and the cloud lifted. They were together: nothing could keep them from failing. Not with Dean and Chloe by their sides. 

Chloe. Sarah opened her eyes. "Did Chloe get back okay?" she asked out loud. The idea of her being out there -- alone, no less -- had jabbed at the back of her mind. 

"Yeah, she's back. Heard her pull up a little while ago," he whispered soothingly. "We're all here again." 

She smiled. "Good. That's good. I'm glad she's back." She relaxed again into Sam's warmth. "Let’s get some sleep. I have a feeling we’re going to need it." 

He nodded slightly, tightening his arms around her just a little. They definitely needed the sleep. Because God only knew what they were going to be up against come tomorrow.

&&&&&

"Okay, so that huge freaking pile of 'used to be church' you guys found? It actually was a church." Sarah looked up from her position at the table, seated across from Chloe, both of their noses stuck inside the copious websites that told wonders about Stull Cemetery.

Dean looked at her, beer in hand, and frowned. "Who took it down?"

"Dunno," she replied and glanced at Sam. "No one authorized the building to be taken down." 

"Though apparently a couple weeks before it was demolished, one of the walls suddenly collapsed for no reason." Chloe glanced up at Dean. 

"According to this the church had been abandoned and vacant since 1922," Sam murmured, looking over Sarah's shoulder at her laptop. 

Sarah's brow furrowed with concern. "And the scariest one of all? It's said the Devil himself appears there twice a year: the Spring Equinox... and Halloween."

Dean's eyes widened and he glanced at the calendar on Missouri's kitchen wall. Halloween was only a couple days away. "Great," he grumbled. 

"Well that clears a whole lot of stuff up, doesn't it?" Chloe said grimly. 

"At least we know when the son of a bitch is going to make himself known," Dean grumbled. 

"Trick or treat," Sam grumbled. "I hate Halloween." 

Sarah rubbed the back of her neck wearily. "Yeah, suddenly I do, too," she whispered and looked over at Chloe. 

She drew in a breath and met Sarah's gaze. "I should call Oliver." Her voice was hushed. 

Dean snorted softly at the thought of the Spandex crew meeting them. "Good idea, because we're going to need all the help we can get." He strode out of the room and towards the front door when he ran into Missouri. Almost literally. "Missouri," he said gruffly, "we got problems." 

"I hate Halloween," she complained. 

"Have you ever actually seen anything weird in that cemetery?" he asked her and felt Sam approach them. 

"Seen? No. Felt? Yes. But they were just traces of dark things," she murmured. "I knew they'd been there...but not while I was there." 

"You think it's where the yellow-eyed demon gets out of hell?" Sam asked. His face was hard and set with a sturdy determination that let Dean know how ready he was to get this over with.

Dean was right there with him. "Makes sense, doesn't it? How else could this thing get out?" 

"The veil between this world and the next is at it's weakest on Samhain. It's why so many witches use the night to communicate with loved ones who've died. Because they can cross back over to this world easier," Missouri said quietly. 

"So it stands to reason that demons would make use of the golden opportunity as well." Chloe's voice was grim as she moved to stand beside Dean. 

Dean took Chloe's hand and stared at Sam. "I take back all those times I made you go trick-or-treating with me so I could hoard all your candy, dude," he stated with a smirk. "I officially hate Halloween, too."

"So what are we going to do?" Sarah asked, her shapely frame sidling up next to Sam. 

Sam reached down and took her hand in his before looking around at the group. "We're gonna end this once and for all." 

Dean nodded, a glint of ferocity in his eyes. "Call Queen," he said to Chloe and looked down at her intently. "Find out what they've dug up on Luthor and his 'secret experimental' thing they'd been looking into. The rest of us need to gather supplies." 

Chloe met his eyes and nodded slightly, giving his hand a squeeze before pulling away and disappearing into the kitchen once more. 

"I'll call Bobby and Ellen, make sure they're ready." Sam's voice was quiet and he pressed a kiss to Sarah's forehead. 

"And I'm going to read up on Stull Cemetery and that weird church," Sarah replied and pulled away from Sam. "There's got to be some way to find out exactly where the demon's going to appear." She followed Chloe back into the kitchen.

"Missouri, I hope to hell you have a year's supply of holy water sitting around," Dean grunted. 

"I'll head to St. Luke's across town. I know the priest." She patted his arm gently before heading for the door. 

Dean watched the older black lady leave, the door shutting softly behind her, and he looked around the empty room. They were working as a team, and the calvary was on its way, so to speak. He ran a hand over his spiky hair and hoped to God it would be enough.

The cold steel pressed against his back was a gentle reminder of the one weapon they had to kill the demon: the Colt. He pulled it out of his pants waistband and wrapped his hand around it carefully. When all was said and done, he hoped he didn't miss. More than one life was depending on it. 

&&&&&

Chloe drew in a breath as she reached the top of the hill overlooking Stull Cemetery. The sun was just peeking above the horizon, the breeze tussling her hair and the bare tree branches above her head. She lifted her chin as she surveyed the deceivingly peaceful land. She heard the soft crunch of footsteps on dried leaves behind her and turned to glance at the others as they reached the top of the hill as well. Her green eyes were dark, as she looked at Dean for a moment, then looked back over the graveyard once more, her body tense. 

Dean took her hand and held it, their fingers intertwining. He felt her unease, as his own coursed through his veins. If any place needed to be wiped from the face of the earth, it was this place: the cemetery housed more dead inhabitants than live ones. Burning the place to the ground seemed a novel idea when it was all said and done, assuming they'd all be alive.

"Dean," Sarah warned in hushed tones and put a hand on his shoulder, "keep it up with the negative thinking and I'll kick your ass." Her tone fell flat of the playfulness she'd been shooting for. 

Sam drew in a breath, his gaze focused on the slowly rising sun for a long moment. "We're gonna make it through this." His voice was quiet, firm. 

"Damn right we are," he whispered and watched the trees sway gently in the breeze and their leaves flail slowly to the ground. 

Chloe lifted her chin, gripping Dean's hand a little more tightly. "Miles to go," she murmured almost inaudibly. 

"Yeah, but this isn't going to be a permanent sleep we're talking about," Sarah replied and thought of the Frost poem Chloe quoted: The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep.

She only hoped their promises – to each other, to their collective future, to killing the big evil – would be realized.

"God, Sarah, can you cut the crappy mind poetry for another time, like when we're not about to go into war?" Dean complained loudly, a note of teasing in his voice, and let go of Chloe's hand to curl his arm around her shoulders. He glanced at Sam and smirked.

Chloe glanced over at Sarah, meeting her gaze for a moment before looking up at Dean. Closing her mind off to the others, she silently wondered if they were really ready for what was coming. Could they ever really be ready? She looked over the cemetery with dark, worried eyes. She just hoped that when it came down to it, that they'd be able to stop the demons. Because if they couldn't, every man, woman and child on earth was going to be facing their worst nightmare.


End file.
